Purpose: To confirm as a
correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 5th
December 2016.

Minutes:

The
minutes of the meeting held on 5th December 2016 were
submitted.

On
minute number 26 on dispensations being referred to other Councils
for determination by agreement, the Monitoring Officer explained
that he had spoken to other councils with the outcome being that
there was some reluctance to work in such a way. He added that Wrexham County Borough Council
Standards Committee only met four times a year so using the
dispensation for consideration today as an example, there would not
have been a convenient meeting to submit it to for a timely
decision. Also, other councils did not
receive as many requests for dispensation as did
Flintshire.

That subject to the
typographical errors being amended, the minutes be signed by the
Chair as a correct record.

30.

Dispensations

Purpose: To receive any
requests for dispensations.

Minutes:

Following despatch of the agenda, a dispensation request had
been received from County Councillor Marion Bateman. The request was to speak at meetings of the
Planning and Development Control Committee for five minutes, as
local Member, instead of three in relation to planning application
number 054548 – the full application for the erection of 43
No. dwellings and associated works at Ffordd Eldon.

She
was the local Member for the area in which the proposed development
was situated and a member of the Planning and Development Control
Committee. She was also a Governor of Sychdyn Primary School and the proposed development
would have an impact on that school. As
such, there was a recommendation that an education contribution was
paid by the developer for the benefit of that school in order to
seek to mitigate the impact of the proposed development upon
it.

Following a discussion it was agreed that permission be granted
as follows: Councillor Marion Bateman be granted dispensation to
correspond with officers on planning application number 054548
– the full application for the erection of 43. No. dwellings
and associated works at Ffordd
Eldon. Also to speak to officers
provided that there was a witness which would ensure that at least
three people would be present, and that the conversation be
minuted. To
speak for five minutes prior to the matter being debated at
Committee and to leave the room whilst the matter was debated and
voted on. The duration of the
dispensation was granted for 12 months ceasing on 5th
March 2018 or 8th May 2017 if Councillor Bateman was not
re-elected. The dispensation would
apply to any other application, which, in the Monitoring
Officer’s view, were substantially the same.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Marion Bateman
be granted dispensation under paragraphs (d) and (f) of the
Standards Committee (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations
2001 to correspond with officers on planning application number
054548 – the full application for the erection of 43. No.
dwellings and associated works at Ffordd Eldon. Also to
speak to officers provided that there was a witness which would
ensure that at least three people would be present, and that the
conversation be minuted. To speak for five minutes prior to the matter
being debated at Committee and to leave the room whilst the matter
was debated and voted on. The duration
of the dispensation was granted for 12 months ceasing on
5th March 2018 or 8th May 2017 if Councillor
Bateman was not re-elected. The
dispensation would apply to any other application, which, in the
Monitoring Officer’s view, were substantially the
same.

Purpose: For the Committee to
consider topics to be included on the attached Forward Work
Programme.

Minutes:

The
Monitoring Officer introduced the Forward Work
Programme. He suggested that an item
for the next meeting of the Committee could be presented on the
recently published Welsh Government White Paper:
Reforming Local Government: Resilient and
Renewed. The White Paper was a
statement of intent for the future of local government in Wales,
which was agreed.

He explained that the White Paper re-included some of the provision
of the earlier Local Government (Wales Bill) and added new
provisions for local government governance, the powers and
functions of local authorities, performance and improvement, the
roles of Councillors, local democracy, workforce, community
councils and electoral reform.

It was agreed that the Team Leader – Democratic Services,
would send a link to the White Paper to the Committee in advance of
the next meeting.

RESOLVED:

(a) That
the Forward Work Programme be noted; and

(b)
That an item be submitted to the next meeting on the Welsh
Government White Paper: Reforming Local Government:
Resilient and Renewed.